Llandudno & North Wales

Llandudno is Wales's largest resort, uniquely situated
between the Great and Little Ormes with two wonderful beaches,
the award winning North Shore and the quiet, sand duned West
Shore. Llandudno has kept its Victorian and Edwardian elegance
and splendour, despite its modern attractions.

Betws y Coed

Its one of those places that never closes, even on a
Sunday in deep and dark December. How could it? Theres
too much demand. This bustling mountain resort, the official
gateway village to Snowdonia in a beautiful
location amongst woods and riverbanks, has been consistently
popular since Victorian times and the coming of the railway.
Many attractions, including railway museum, golf course, high
ropes adventure, waymarked walks and famous Swallow Falls. Town
has an excellent Snowdonia National Park Information Centre
with Princes of Gwynedd exhibition, and an outstanding range of
shops selling quality crafts, clothing and outdoor
gear.

Caernarfon Castle

Mighty Caernarfon is possibly the most
famous of Wales's castles. Its sheer scale and commanding
presence easily set it apart from the rest, and to this day,
still trumpet in no uncertain terms the intention of its
builder Edward I. Begun in 1283 as the definitive chapter in
his conquest of Wales, Caernarfon was constructed not only as a
military stronghold but also as a seat of government and royal
palace. The castle's majestic persona is no architectural
accident: it was designed to echo the walls of Constantinople,
the imperial power of Rome and the dream castle, 'the fairest
that ever man saw', of Welsh myth and legend. After all these
years Caernarfon's immense strength remains unchanged. Standing
at the mouth of the Seiont river, the fortress (with its unique
polygonal towers, intimidating battlements and colour banded
masonry) dominates the walled town also founded by Edward I.
Caernarfon's symbolic status was emphasized when Edward made
sure that his son, the first English Prince of Wales, was born
here in 1284. In 1969, the castle gained worldwide fame as the
setting for the Investiture of Prince Charles as Prince of
Wales.

Llanberis

Llanberis is packed with enough attractions to keep visitors
busy for weeks. But first, theres the lakeside location
at the foot of Snowdon. When youre tired of walking
beside the water  which you wont be  take a
ride on two narrow-gauge lines, the Llanberis Lake Railway and
Snowdon Mountain Railway. The latter climbs almost to the
doorstep of the stunning Hafod Eryri Visitor Centre. Lots to
see and do in lakeside Padarn Country Park. The National Slate
Museum recalls Snowdonias rich industrial heritage,
Electric Mountain invites you into its awesome high-tech
underground world, while Dolbadarn Castle takes you back a
thousand years to the time of the native Welsh princes. If that
isnt enough there are craft shops and watersports
too.

Llanfair PG

Just about any village in Wales has an unpronounceable name
due to the extensive use of consonant combinations in the Welsh
language. However, the village with the most unpronounceable
and longest name is that of
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwy
rndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. According to the
Guinness Book of Records, this is the longest place name in the
world.

Locals have shortened the name of the village to Llanfair.
Like all other place names in Wales, the name is very
descriptive. When translated into English, it means "The Church
of St. Mary by the pool with the white hazel near the rapid
whirlpool by St. Tysilio's church and the red cave". It is not
the original name of the village, but rather it was contrived
as a publicity stunt in the 1860's to bestow the honour of
having the longest name on the railway station. The original
name was Llanfair Pwllgwyngyll, which means "St. Mary's Church
in the hollow of the white hazel."

Day 1

A morning departure from Cumbria for our journey south to the historic city of Chester where we have time for lunch and sightseeing before continuing via the north Wales coast to Llandudno and our hotel the St. Kilda. Dinner in the hotel followed by entertainment.

D

Day 2

Today we drive through the beautiful Snowdonia National Park. Travelling through the Conwy Valley we first visit picturesque Betws-y-Coed before continuing to Blaenau Ffestiniog and then Porthmadog. We return to Llandudno via Beddgelert where three vales join the heart of Snowdonia, dinner in the hotel.

B, D

Day 3

A morning visit to Caernarfon with its magnificent castle, one of Europe’s greatest medieval fortresses. After time to explore the maze of narrow streets in Caernarfon we head off to Llanberis at the foot of Mount Snowdon. Dinner at the St Kilda.

B, D

Day 4

Full day excursion calling first at Conwy, a lovely walled town with an impressive castle before continuing to LlanfairPG, the village with the legendary long name. We then visit Beaumaris with its magnificent setting on Conwy Bay. We return to Llandudno for dinner.

B, D

Day 5

Today we leave our hosts at the St Kilda, returning home to Cumbria via the Victorian resort of Southport, arriving back early evening.

B

B=Breakfast Included, D=Dinner Included

St Kilda Hotel

St Kilda Hotel is located on the seafront at the heart of
Llandudno, the hotel's graceful Victorian architecture has been
faithfully restored to recreate a grand era of the old
days.

And because St Kilda's is a family-run hotel, you can expect
a uniquely warm welcome. No guest walks through the doors
without enjoying a complimentary plate of St Kilda's famous
homemade scones and from the moment you check in, friendly
staff will be on hand to make your holiday a memorable
experience.

Dating back to 1854 St Kilda has over sixty bedrooms, each
with their own unique character.

The front rooms overlook the broad sweep of Llandudno
Bay.

All rooms come with en-suite facilities offering you a
choice between walk-in-showers and/or baths.

Each is equipped with Direct Dial Telephones, Hairdryer, Tea
& Coffee making facilities, Radio and flat screen
Television.

St Kilda Hotel has lift access to every floor.

Below is a list of pick-up points available on this tour.

Below is a list of pick-up points available on this tour.

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